As a lifelong reader, I’ve loved many books over the years. In the last two decades, numerous stories have managed to worm their way into my heart, from children’s classics like Rick Riordan’s mythological masterpieces to epic fantasies à la Leigh Bardugo to twisty thrillers in the vein of Stuart Turton and countless more. Some of these stories are only fleeting favorites, beloved in the moment but less and less memorable as other books emerge to capture my interest. The true test of what gives a book staying power on my shelf? Re-readability.
My TBR is stacked to the stars, so it takes a lot for me to reach for a familiar story rather than something new. With so many books to experience and so little time to do it, I can’t afford to waste precious hours retreading old ground — which means the books I do reread are truly something special. Today, I want to share those standout stories with you, in hopes that you’ll enjoy them just as much as I have. So, without further ado, let’s count down six reads I find myself returning to time after time!
Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of interrogation and past physical and emotional domestic abuse (not between the MCs). Please exercise personal care while reading.
A troublesome prince and an enigmatic widower are forced into an arranged marriage to prevent a diplomatic disaster from sparking intergalactic war.
As much as I adore a good mystery or the occasional rom-com, I’m a sci-fi fan at heart, and this book is everything I could ever want in a space opera. It’s got confounding conspiracies; it’s got tender, slow-burn romance; it’s got political intrigue — and if that doesn’t sound like a recipe for excellence, I don’t know what does. Without a doubt, Winter’s Orbit has earned itself a place in my permanent re-read rotation. If you’re a fellow sci-fi enthusiast, I can’t recommend it enough!
Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of intimate partner violence, queerphobia and transphobia, opioid dependency, ableism, and graphic violence involving children, law enforcement, and animals. Please exercise personal care while reading.
A trans autistic teen finds himself enmeshed in a political power struggle between small-town law enforcement and those they exploit.
You can never go wrong with reading an Andrew Joseph White novel. He’s the king of genre-bending adventures featuring authentic queer and trans rep, and Compound Fracture is no exception to that rule. Easily the most hard-hitting YA I’ve ever read, this novel is equal parts attention-holding and harrowing — and I loved every second of it. I only wish I’d gotten to experience it while I was still a teen.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of graphic blood and gore, self-harm, torture, and animal death, as well as brief mentions of suicide and sexual assault. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Two time-traveling foes from rival factions must alter the past to build a future where their blossoming romance can survive.
This lyrical novella has a few of my favorite things: a forbidden epistolary entanglement, an epic post-apocalyptic escapade, a love story transcending space and time, and tons of sapphic pining. Enemies-to-lovers fanatics, this one is for you. I devoured This Is How You Lose the Time War in one sitting, and I fully intend to do so again and again until the end of time.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of drug and alcohol use, abusive relationships, medical amputation, cancer, depression, car accidents, gun violence, and the death of a parent, as well as brief mentions of suicide and abortion. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Two college friends enter a turbulent creative partnership to fulfill their dream of designing video games, setting them on the path toward unimaginable success and tragedy.
I know I’m not telling you anything new here, but if you haven’t already, you need to read this book. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a beautiful story about the ups and downs of a decades-long friendship between two genius video game designers, exploring themes of disability, grief, and the power of human connection. I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and then I cried some more. You’ll want to bring your tissues for this emotional rollercoaster, but it’s certainly worth the ride.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of suicide and suicidal ideation. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Four strangers seek signs of the supernatural in a notoriously haunted house and get much more than they bargained for.
It’s a shame it took me watching Mike Flanagan’s impeccable adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to finally pick up the source material, but I’m so glad I did. Without exaggeration, I want the first paragraph of this book embossed on my brain; it’s perfection, plain and simple. The Halloween season just wouldn’t be complete without an annual reread of this seminal horror novel, so its spot on my favorites list is secure.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Trigger warning: This book contains depictions of drug abuse and addiction, homophobia, racism, sexual assault, bullying, animal cruelty, parental abuse, terminal illness, and war. Please exercise personal care while reading.
In a letter to his mother, who cannot read, a son explores his relationship with masculinity, trauma, and fraught family roots.
Stunning, evocative, masterful, important. These meager descriptors can’t convey half the brilliance of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. Ocean Vuong has a way with words that cuts deep into your soul, tapping into the universal human experiences of longing, loss, and love with poetic precision. As heart-rending as it is to read, I’ll never tire of returning to this story.
Each of these books has earned a perpetual position on my shelf and in my heart. I hope you’ll find even a fraction of the magic in them that I’ve encountered over and over again.
Click here to learn about more of my favorite books!
Click here to browse more of the Bookstr team’s recommended reads on Bookshop!
